It was an ordinary December night.
At least, it started out like that. Until it turned into a memory our family will never forget.
After years of walking with the Lord, I’ve learned He often does that.
He’s crazy good at using simple moments to remind you of His power and glory. And they often happen just when you need them most.
He sends a divinely-timed intervention that refreshes our souls.
And helps us remember that living in awe of God brings a whole lot of peace and joy.
A rare event…
While signs of God’s glory can be found pretty much anywhere, the Christmas season makes living in awe of God a little bit easier.
From the twinkling lights to cozy manger scenes, the magic of the holidays sparks a sense of wonder.
And that’s where our family found itself one evening last December.
It was a few days before Christmas and we were looking forward to all the festivities that lay ahead.
A large and beautiful tree stood proudly in our living room. Special presents were hidden away, soon to be wrapped. A delicious ham sat waiting in our fridge for the extended family that would soon be pouring into our house.
But this Christmas promised something extra special.
News agencies had been talking about it for weeks. A rare alignment of the planets Jupiter and Saturn were going to provide a celestial treat.
The two planets would briefly align in conjunction and appear as one large, bright light in the sky. It was dubbed the “Christmas Star.”
It’s the closest Jupiter and Saturn had appeared together in around 800 years. And it wouldn’t happen again for decades.
While the best views would come with telescopes, even the naked eye would be able to see this remarkable event. So, I did some research to figure out where it would show up. And then headed outside with our girls to be a part of history.
Read another inspiring holiday story in “A Simple Christmas.”
The chance of a lifetime…
We live right in the heart of a fairly large city. So, I wasn’t sure we’d even be able to catch a glimpse of the two planets.
The experts said the stars would align low in the southwest sky. Between the city lights and the dense neighborhoods, I didn’t know if viewing it would be possible.
But I knew we had to try.
Thankfully, the night was bright and clear with not a cloud in sight. The air was crisp, but not cold. It was the perfect night for star-gazing.
My girls and I headed up the street to find an opening in the row of houses that would allow us to see the right part of the sky.
A few blocks down the road we found the perfect view. Nestled between two houses, we could clearly see a large piece of sky just above the horizon.
Exactly where the Christmas Star should be.
It didn’t take us long to find it. And the experts had been right. It shone brightly in the night sky. Despite endless city lights and houses all around, the two planets were clearly visible.
We stood on the sidewalk and gazed up at the heavens. In a hushed voice, I explained the phenomenon to my girls.
The history behind the event was fascinating.
Many astronomers believe this same conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn created the Christmas Star from the very first Christmas.
Others believe a series of conjunctions between those two planets in 7 BC created the star the wise men followed to Bethlehem. In that year, it appeared in May, September, and December. Perfect timing for the wise men who may have been charting and following its course.
Either way, there’s significant evidence that the same event we were witnessing was a repeat of one of the most important moments in all of history.
An extraordinary moment…
After chatting about the stars of Christmas past, we stood in silence for a long while. The hustle and bustle of the city seemed to fade away.
It was almost as if all of creation was appreciating the beauty of the moment right along with us.
In the stillness of the night, I felt my heart fill with wonder. With my gaze fixed on the Christmas Star, I imagined this same scene playing out thousands of years ago halfway across the world.
Shepherds transfixed by a holy chorus.
A young couple comforted by a single bright light.
A trio of wise men following a long-awaited sign.
And a small family on the edge of a city street.
Separated by time, but not by experience.
All looking at the same star. And all living in awe of the same amazing God.
I’m not sure how long we stood there. But my kids sensed the magic of the moment too.
When I finally told them it was time to head back home, they begged to stay longer.
But it was well past dinnertime and my husband would be there soon.
As we walked back down the street, I tried to capture all the feelings of the evening and file them away.
It was a memory I didn’t want to forget.
Living in awe of God every single day…
Christmas is full of awe and wonder. Even without the Christmas star, it’s easy to get lost in the magic of the season.
But, what about the rest of the year? Shouldn’t we be living in awe of God all the time?
I think so.
But when life gets busy, it’s easy to lose that sense of wonder. It can be hard to find wonder in the ordinary of the every day.
Yet, Christmas star moments are everywhere.
From the beauty of creation to the vastness of the universe, the fingerprint of God is ever-present.
Find out more about living in awe of God with “20 Verses About Connecting with God Through Nature.”
Even right inside our own bodies.
For instance, did you know all the temporary vessels and openings that allow a baby to thrive and grow inside a watery womb for nine months shut down 30 minutes after birth? And within one to two days, they permanently close.
The miracle of birth alone is enough to keep us living in awe of God!
And did you know the DNA code within EACH CELL of your body is three billion letters long? If you unraveled all the DNA in your body, it would span 34 billion miles, traveling to Pluto and back six times. It’s difficult to even wrap our minds around that!
And what about the rest of God’s creation?
Living in awe of God seems like a natural response when you consider He created 400,000 different kinds of flowers. Or 17,500 different species of butterflies.
And did you know that elephants can listen with their feet? They can hear warning stomps from other herds up to 20 miles away. Or that squirrels pay attention to bird calls to determine if danger is near?
The detail and creativity of God’s creation is infinitely wonder-filled.
And living in awe of God is guaranteed when you think about space. No one knows for sure, but there may be around 400 billion stars in our galaxy. And there could be more than 170 billion galaxies in the observable universe.
Yet, here’s what’s even more amazing…
Despite the indescribable vastness of space, the human brain is still the most complex object in the known universe.
It’s natural to ask how that’s even possible! But here’s where it comes full circle.
You see, the same author of all those amazing facts chose to create us as His masterpiece.
A masterpiece that He’s loved since before it existed. A people far more valuable to Him than the brightest star or the most beautiful butterfly.
A people so important that He sent His own Son to save them. And then literally aligned the stars to point them to that Savior.
A God that moves the heavens to show us His love. And then does it again every few hundred years…just in case we forget.
It doesn’t get much more awe-inspiring than that.
Do you have a “living in awe of God” story? Please share in the comments below!
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